25. Fiona
Chapter 25
Fiona
I’ve seen it portrayed in books and movies. I thought I had a version of it when I was with Raf, and again when I was engaged to Andrew, but this . Falling in love with Clay is like free falling through a cloud of happiness, knowing he will always catch me.
He makes love to me all night, and I revel in the electricity of his touch, the emotion in his words, and the sincerity in his tone. We make a silent pact. Two damaged souls, dedicating themselves to each other, come what may.
I’m not na?ve enough to think we’re never going to face adversity, but it doesn’t scare me as much, knowing he’s as devoted to me as I am to him. And to think only a month ago, I hated him down to my core. I guess Jackson was right all along. The line between love and hate is wafer thin.
“Flowers,” he whispers and I peel my eyes open, throwing my arm over my eyes with a groan.
“Why are the lights on?”
“They’re not,” he says, amusement laced in his tone.
I lift my arm, squinting at the half man, half lightning bolt in front of me. “A drone went offline. I have to go check it out, but I’ll be back in less than an hour.” He whispers, even though we’re the only two people that exist within a twenty-mile radius.
“I didn’t want you to panic in case you woke up when I was gone.”
“Thank you.” I cover a yawn.
He pecks my lips. “Go back to sleep.”
He leaves the room and commands Nova to open the hatch. The door thuds closed and the locks engage as an idea hits me. I climb from the bed and pull on some clothes before I use the bathroom, and head to the kitchen to brew some coffee.
Clay only talks to the AI when he needs something. She seems to be a bottomless well of information, so maybe she can help me. “Nova?” I ask the empty room.
“Yes, Ms. Edgewater?” she says in her customer service voice with a slight Australian accent.
“How long have you known Clay?”
“I began observing agent Firebolt when he joined the team approximately eight years ago.”
“Who created you?”
“Classified.”
I’m willing to bet my left arm it was James Reilly. He’s the only person on the planet with the genius to create something like Nova. But now I know there are security levels built into her programming.
“Do you learn people’s habits and tendencies?”
“Yes. It allows me to predict the needs of the team.”
“What have you learned about me?” I pour a mug of coffee and get comfortable on the couch.
“You enjoy a challenge, reading romance novels, and black coffee. You enjoy having rowdy sexual intercourse with agent Fire–”
My cheeks flame. “Do you watch our every move?”
“Only in common areas. It was important to my creator that the team have some privacy.”
Note to self: no more sex on the couch.
“Do you exist here and in the bunker where the rest of the team is?”
“Yes.”
“Does Clay listen to music in the common areas?”
“Yes.”
“If I were to sing him a song, which one would be the most meaningful?”
“Define meaningful.”
“Which song would elicit a positive emotion from him?”
“Try this one,” she says and AC/DC’s Thunderstruck plays over the speakers.
“No. Not like that. Do you know what love is?”
The music stops. “Love is a complex emotion between humans that elicits strong chemical and emotional bonds.”
“What song would make Clay fall more in love with me?”
A brief pause. “His current love is not adequate?”
“Of course it is. I just want to do something special for him. Something nobody else has ever done for him.”
“One moment. Try this one.”
The songs plays and I laugh. “Seriously?”
“Clay is an avid fan. He listens to this artist 70% more than all other genres besides classic rock.”
“Thank you, Nova. This is perfect.”
“You’re welcome, Ms. Edgewater.”
“Can you do me one more favor?”
“Of course. How can I help?”
I tell her my plan, then run to the bathroom to make myself presentable. Clay is the guy who does stuff for others, but has anyone done anything for him? His family loves him, but from the way he talks, I can tell he feels neglected sometimes. This is my chance to make him feel seen, just like he does for me.